Real's talisman

Champions League offsets World Cup for Zidane

MADRID (Reuters) -- If it had not been for a dismal World Cup, French midfielder Zinedine Zidane may well be giving Ronaldo a closer run as the two Real Madrid teammates fight it out for football's end of year awards.

The pre-tournament injury to the inspirational playmaker effectively torpedoed his country's chances of a successful defense of the crown it won so convincingly on home territory four years ago.

In terms of morale the team never recovered from the blow of missing its talisman, while in purely footballing terms it missed his presence so much that by the time he returned to face Denmark in the final group match there was little he could do to stop an ignominious first round exit.

But World Cup failure aside, 2002 was still an exceptional year for the world's most expensive player.

The balding, slightly uneasy-looking figure, who looks a good deal older than his 30 years, scored what was probably the goal of the season with his stunning winner in the 2-1 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League final at Hampden Park.

Keeping his eyes fixed on a high and hopeful cross from Roberto Carlos the Frenchman drifted away from his markers before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot volley from the edge of the area which sailed into back of the net.

Collector's piece

It was a collector's piece of a goal and the perfect way for Real Madrid to secure its ninth European crown.

Zidane's goal would have graced the legendary European Cup final which Real won 7-3 against Eintracht Frankfurt on the same ground some 42 years earlier, and which is generally regarded as the greatest club match ever played.

With one moment of technical genius the Frenchman, showed just why Real had been prepared to pay a world record US$66 million to secure his services last year.

That goal also enabled the modest Frenchman to add a missing medal to his burgeoning collection and helped him get the vote from UEFA as the most valuable player in last season's competition.

Despite having to serve the remainder of a five-match ban incurred while he was still at Juventus, Zidane proved to be the most influential player in Real's journey to the final, scoring a crucial goal in the first leg of the semifinal against archrival Barcelona.

In one fluid movement he connected with a sweeping pass from Raul and sent a dipping right-foot shot into the far corner to open the scoring at the Nou Camp, in a game Real went on to win 2-0.

But it had not been all plain sailing in his first season at Real.

The mild-mannered Frenchman took time to settle at his new club and later admitted that he was affected by the degree of media pressure he was subjected to following his move from Juventus.

He took time to gel with his new teammates, but eventually began to show touches of the almost balletic control and sublime skill that make him one of the most aesthetically-pleasing players in the world to watch.

Of course, he was not capable of producing his best week in and week out in the league, but he proved once again that he is capable of turning it on in the key games.

No player in the modern game possesses his vision or his passing ability. He sees gaps in defenses even before they appear and his apparently lazy passes unleash his attackers with unerring effectiveness.

Determination to win

His calmness on the ball and the apparent ease with which he floats behind his strikers hides an aggressive streak and determination to win, while, as he proved at Hampden and the Nou Camp, he can score great goals too.

When he is not exhibiting his skills on the football pitch Zidane tends to shy away from the media spotlight, preferring instead to spend time with his wife Veronique and his children.

The son of humble Algerian immigrants Zidane has become a goodwill ambassador to the United Nations and is the embodiment of multi-ethnic France.

He has become a role model for thousands of French children who share similar roots. His status transcends his position as a world-class footballer and he was clearly aware of this when he stood up and called for a massive vote against the extreme right-wing candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen in this year's presidential elections.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claims Zidane was born to play for the club.

It is an indication of the esteem in which the Frenchman is held at Real, but it is also true that the president of any other club in the world would love to be able to echo Perez's boast.

Zinedine Zidane Factbox

1972 - Born June 23, Marseille, France.

1988 - Joins AS Cannes. Scores 6 goals in 61 league appearances for the club.

1992 - Joins Girondins Bordeaux. Scores 28 goals in 139 league appearances for the club during four seasons.

1994 - August 17, makes French international debut versus Czech Republic. Scores two goals in 17 minutes after coming on as a second half substitute.

1995-96 - UEFA Cup runner-up with Bordeaux.

1996 - Moves to Juventus. Helps the club to two Serie A titles in his first two full seasons.

1996 - Wins the European Super Cup and the World Club Cup with Juventus.

1997 - May 28, plays for Juventus in 3-1 defeat by Borussia Dortmund in final of Champions League in Munich.

1998 - May 20, plays for Juventus in 1-0 defeat by Real Madrid in final of Champions League in Amsterdam.

1998 - June 1, sent off after 70 minutes of France's 4-0 first round victory over Saudi Arabia. Misses France's next two matches.

1998 - July 12 heads two first-half goals to help France win their first World Cup with a 3-0 victory over Brazil.

1998 - December 21, wins the Reuters 1998 Sports Personality of the Year poll.

1998 - December 21, wins the 1998 European Player of the Year award - the Balon d'Or.

1999 - February 1, wins FIFA 1998 World Player of the Year award.

2000 - June, Named player of the tournament as he helps lead France to victory in Euro 2000, masterminding his side's defeat of Spain in the quarterfinals and playing a vital part in the win over Portugal in the semis and in the dramatic golden goal victory against Italy in the final.

2000 - September, Extends his contract with Juventus to 2005.

2000 - October, Receives five-match ban from UEFA after being sent off after headbutting Jochen Kientz of Hamburg SV. It is Zidane's second successive sending off in Champions League matches.

2000 - December, wins FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time.

2001 - Juventus finish second in the Serie A, two points behind champion Roma. Zidane plays what turns out to be his last match for Juventus in 2-1 victory over Atalanta. Scored 28 goals in a total of 191 matches in five seasons at Juventus.

2001 - June, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez expresses interest in signing Zidane as part of his desire to construct a "superteam" to mark the centenary of the club in 2002.

2001 - July 9, becomes the world's most expensive player as he makes a move from Juventus to Real Madrid worth up to US$66 million.

2002 - May 15, helps Real Madrid win the Champions League with a majestic winner in the 2-1 final victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

2002 - May 27, a thigh injury picked up in a warmup match against South Korea forces Zidane out of the first two matches of the World Cup finals.

He returns for the final group match against Denmark, but has no impact as France lose 2-0 and head out of the tournament without scoring a goal.

2002 - August 29, named the most valuable player in the Champions League by UEFA.

2002 - August 30, part of Real side that wins the European Super Cup with 3-1 victory against Feyenoord in Monaco.

2002 - December 3, wins second World Club Cup as Real beat South American champions Olimpia 2-0 in Yokohama.

 

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